Council leader visits Reepham to promote Small Business Saturday

Chairman of Broadland District Council Cllr Stuart Dunn, together with Council leader Cllr Andrew Proctor and member champion for sport Cllr Claudette Bannock, toured Reepham, Aylsham, Horstead, Woodbastwick and Brundall on 7 December.
 
The councillors were out to show their support of the Small Business Saturday campaign to encourage people to shop local and support small businesses in their communities.
 

Chairman of Broadland District Council Cllr Stuart Dunn (left) meets Reepham butcher Brian Robertson

 
Cllr Dunn said: “It was a pleasure to meet local business people in Broadland and experience first-hand what it is that makes them special. It is these stores that keep our area unique and they certainly attract both residents and visitors alike. I’d encourage everyone to lend their support to fantastic local businesses.”
 
According to an American Express poll undertaken in the 24 hours following Small Business Saturday, just under half (48%) of all UK consumers were aware of the day.
 
Of those, more than half (57%) shopped at a local, independently owned business on 7 December, with 43% choosing to do so specifically because of Small Business Saturday.
 
Those consumers who knew about the day and took to their local high street spent between £1 and £2000 on the day, with tills in independent shops and small businesses ringing in an average of £33 per person, which equates to a total of £468 million across the UK as a whole.
 
In fact, 45% of those aware of the day who shopped in a small business on 7 December said they spent more than usual, with nearly one in five (19%) saying they had spent at least 50% more than they would usually on a typical Saturday.
 
So, carry on shopping small, on the high street, online and beyond – these figures show that this is hugely benefiting the local (and national) economy.
 
See our earlier news story:

 

Left to right: Chairman of Broadland District Council Cllr Stuart Dunn; Malcolm Lane of Reepham Home Hardware; and Broadland District Council leader Cllr Andrew Proctor

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